Myth and Legend
by Time Lady Evangeline
Summary: The reaper comes for Arthur, leaving his manservant heartbroken and desperate. A powerful form of accidental necromancy gives them another chance, albeit not a perfect one. Merlin calls upon an unlikely ally to help him fix his mistakes and restore the Once and Future King to his former glory, to live the destiny that the universe has intended.
1. Chapter 1

**Myth and Legend**

"Merlin, what on earth are you doing?" Trying to get up quickly, the manservant hit his head on the bottom of Arthur's bed.

"Uh, you see," he began, scrambling out from underneath the bed, "I thought I heard a rat."

"Did you find it?"

"No."

"You're useless," Arthur groaned. "Is my armor polished?"

"Yes, Sire."

"And the sword?"

"I can see my reflection."

"Careful, you might break it."

He smiled, collecting Arthur's laundry with haste. After a moment, he became serious again. "Um," Merlin began, almost timidly. Arthur knew it was uncharacteristic for his manservant, who was always so cheeky.

"What is it? Did I hurt your feelings?" he teased, despite the situation.

"Ha! As if! I was wondering if I could take the evening off. There is a matter of importance that I need to discuss with Gaius. It is urgent, Sire."

Arthur knew when Merlin was simply complaining about his workload and playfully asking for a day off. This was not one of those times. He nodded his head. "Go."

Merlin calmly walked out the door, then bolted to Gaius's chambers. "Gaius!" His finger scanned through the bookshelves, pulling off a big black book.

"What is it?!" Gaius asked as Merlin flipped the book open, going through the pages as quickly as he could. Seeing what he was looking for, he let the book hit the table as he let his finger rest on the page.

"The reaper," Merlin looked up to his guardian. "I saw it. Just like this, in Arthur's bedroom." He bit his lower lip.

"What? Are you sure?"

"Yes, Gaius, I am more than sure. I got this awful feeling when I heard its footsteps coming, and when it stopped at Arthur's room I hid under the bed. I tried to lock the door, but it just walked in anyway. I thought it was someone trying to get information, but then it turned around, and I saw its face." Merlin was borderline trembling now, and shook his head. "It had no skin, just a skull, with these eyes that were black as night."

"Perhaps it was one of Morgana's?"

"No," he said assertively, "it was different, much different. Gaius, when it looked my way, I couldn't breathe. It was as if my heart and lungs were trapped in a cage that kept getting smaller every time I tried to draw air. I thought I was going to die! Then it left. The moment it turned away, the feeling was gone."

Gaius nodded, listening intently. "Was it after you?"

"I don't think so… I think it was looking for Arthur."

"You need to watch over him, closely, then. But, Merlin, I am surprised you could see the reaper. It's rare for anyone except for the dead. If I'm correct, the last recorded sighting was over a hundred years ago."

"Then why did I see it?"

"I don't know."

"What do I do?"

"You can't stop a reaper, it's impossible. Just stay by his side and protect him, like you always do. But there's not much we can do about it until we know more." Merlin stood, on edge, pinching the bridge of his nose. Gaius stopped him as he began to pace. "Merlin, even though you saw it, that doesn't mean that it's going to take him, or anyone, anytime soon. It could wait for a hundred years for all we know. So you can't let yourself be consumed by it."

"Right, right." Merlin nodded, taking slow, deep breaths to calm himself.

"You've endured a great deal today. Get some rest." Merlin walked to his bedroom, and once the door closed behind him, Gaius took up the book about the reaper in his hands, taking it to his desk. He sat and read for a few hours before his old eyes grew heavy with sleep.

The days continued, and Merlin tried to forget. Despite that, he found himself putting extra effort into keeping Arthur safe.

"Merlin, I'm going to go down to the training field, if that's alright with you." Arthur said mockingly. The manservant sighed.

"Oh, shut up." He was tired and irritated, and always on edge. He'd barely slept, lurking near Arthur's bedroom instead of going home when he was dismissed. If something were to happen to him while he was away, Merlin would never forgive himself.

After following closely behind him down to the training field, then back up to Arthur's room, the prince suggested they go hunting.

"Tomorrow?"

"Is that a problem?"

"N-No. Not at all. I'll prepare the supplies." Reluctantly, Merlin began to make his way towards the door. Before he reached for the knob, Arthur called him.

"Merlin?"

"Yes, Sire?"

"When you're done with that, eat something and get some sleep." Embarrassed, Merlin nodded silently and prepared to make a quick exit, but Arthur called him again.

"And, Merlin?"

"Yes?"

"That's an order."

"I understand."

Merlin prepared the supplies, and as he did, an odd feeling of ease overcame him. He'd been so overcome with terror over losing Arthur that he wasn't being himself. So, once everything was packed, he went home to Gaius, where his guardian was surprised to see him home. The gentle smile on Merlin's face bewildered him even more.

"Is everything okay, Merlin?" He asked tentatively.

"Everything is great." The tone of his ward's voice made him relax.

"Wonderful. There is some stew I just cooked on the table, if you'd like some." To his immense relief, the young man sat at the table and ate. All of the worry he had for his boys began to melt away, and that night he and Merlin both slept well.

In the morning, Merlin finished the last of the preparations and met Arthur with a smile on his face. The prince was surprised, but nonetheless pleased.

They headed out, and it was a successful morning. Merlin felt lighthearted and was happy for the first time in almost a month. If the reaper hadn't made another appearance by now, then surely he wasn't going to. He had begun to believe that it was all in his head, and his fears had been just a result of exhaustion and being overworked. He was going to let go of that harbored paranoia.

"You haven't told me to be careful all morning, Merlin. I'm surprised."

"Maybe you can take care of yourself for a change." Arthur smirked, about to return with another snarky comment when he froze. He held a finger to his lips to keep Merlin silent.

Fear gripped Merlin's heart, and he was on guard instantly. Seconds passed in complete and total silence.

Then the bandits came, quickly and in great numbers. They knocked Merlin off his horse, where he made sure Arthur wasn't looking before using his magic against them. He kept them back in as subtle of a way as he could, and the prince fought with his sword on horseback. Then they started coming from the other side.

One second. It was only one second. Merlin turned around to counter their new attackers, and he heard it. His head twisted around sharply to see Arthur slumping on his horse, and a glint of metal that he refused to acknowledge.

A yell escaped his throat, one that was so very unlike him. His eyes glowed with the golden powers of the magic in his veins, and with both hands he threw them all back a good distance. Each and every one of their attackers hit the ground, and they weren't getting up. Ever.

Merlin ran and caught Arthur as he slid off of the horse. "Arthur!" There was a dagger in his chest, directly into his heart. The point went straight through him, to where Merlin could see the tip protruding from his back.

"Hang on. You're gonna be okay. Just hang on." He turned, just in time to see their horses galloping off, frightened by all that had occurred.

And so Merlin started running, dragging Arthur with him. "Merlin…" A quiet voice muttered.

"Arthur! Can you hear me?" He stopped, letting the prince's head rest in his lap.

"It's okay, Merlin…"

"Don't. I'm going to get you back. Gaius will heal you." In his head, Merlin cursed himself for not learning more healing spells like his mentor had insisted. He had no knowledge that would help Arthur now, he only hoped that he made it back to Camelot.

Pulling him farther, Merlin began to shout. "Help! Someone, HELP! Anyone, I NEED HELP! Please!" Determined, he got on his knees and began to pull off Arthur's heavy chainmail and armor. Then, taking care to mind the knife, Merlin hoisted him over his shoulder. "We're gonna make it, Arthur."

So he staggered onward, Arthur's warm blood running down Merlin's back and chest and arms, soaking his shirt, staining his hands. Merlin tried not to think about it, how it was _too much. _He could not, would not, let Arthur die. So he kept moving, despite the strain on his knees, the pull of his back, he kept going towards Camelot. Towards home. Because once they were there, everything would be okay. It had to be.

It seemed like an eternity, it really did. When Merlin recognized the forest around them, he began to shout again, still walking. "HEY! HELP! IS ANYONE THERE?!"

He continued like that until his voice was raw and he could only whisper. Just when he'd given up, the Camelot Patrol rode through the trees, Sir Leon at the front. Merlin's voice caught in his throat, shock manifesting itself through his tears. "Help." He muttered, looking down at Arthur.

"No man is worth your tears," The prince slurred, very clearly on the verge of the unconsciousness that he'd been slipping in and out of the entire way. He was able to smile the softest, most genuine of smiles before Leon took him. Merlin couldn't remember the knight even getting off of his horse, and he got one short glance at Arthur before the horses galloped away.

It was only Merlin and another knight now, left behind to lead the young man back to the city. Merlin stood to his feet, quick to move towards Camelot. "Woah, mate, calm down there. You're not looking too well yourself."

"I have to get to Arthur, you don't understand." The man sighed and dismounted his horse, handing the reigns to Merlin. The manservant took them hesitantly, unsure.  
"Go on then, take him. Just be careful, and don't fall off."

"Thank you, thank you so much!" With some difficulty, he climbed into the saddle and rode after the other knights.

By the time Merlin reached the city, the others had already been there several minutes. He got off the horse and handed it over to a stable boy, racing to Gaius's chambers because I knew he'd be there.

He shoved past several of the knights from the patrol before he could even get to the door. Once inside, he caught the eyes of Leon, who was out of breath. Tears spilled over and a pit formed in Merlin's stomach. Still pushing more people out of the way, he began to shout.

"Let me through! Please, let me through, I-" His voice caught in a strangled cry. Gaius was standing behind the table, upon which Arthur was laid, that dagger no longer in his chest. The court physician closed his eyes, sighing shakily as a tears streamed down his cheeks.

Merlin ran to Arthur's still form, fingertips gracing his prince's collarbone as the realization fully struck. "He's not gone yet. No. Gaius, do something!"

"I can do nothing," He replied hopelessly. Merlin grasped Arthur's shirt in his fists, beginning to sob. He kept expecting to feel his heartbeat beneath his hands, but there was nothing. No breath. No life.

He cried into Arthur's chest, and no one stopped him. No one told him it was inappropriate, because they knew. They knew how close the boys were, how they'd become friends. A few whispered rumors had even suggested more than that.

No one spoke, no one could find words that would have meant anything. It was as if they were all frozen in the horrific reality of what had unfolded before them. The only sound to pierce through the sickening quiet was Merlin's broken cries.

Finally, Gaius walked to the door. "I will…" He sighed. "I will go inform the king."


	2. Chapter 2

Leaving those in the room to their shock, he walked down the hallway, heart heavier than it had been the night of Igraine's death. At least then, he'd also been bearing news of life. He allowed himself then to shed tears. Every time, he'd been able to save the young prince, or at least do something to help. But now, the Once and Future King lay stone cold on a wooden table, and he could do nothing but pronounce him dead.

Reaching the throne room, he was denied entry by the guards at the doors. "The king is in a council meeting."

"This is-" Gaius's voice broke, and he had to take in a deep breath. "I assure you, this is more important. It is a matter of great urgency. Go tell the king that I am personally requesting that he clear the court immediately." Seeing that he was serious, the guard nodded and entered the throne room. Moments later, Gaius was allowed in.

He hadn't asked the members of the Council to leave, so now the old man was in the center of the room, all eyes on him. "If I may speak to you alone, Sire." With one look at him, Uther knew he must do as Gaius asked. He gestured for the rest of them to leave, standing to approach his friend.

"What troubles you, Gaius?" He asked, putting a hand on the court physician's shoulder. He took a deep breath, trying to decide how to begin.

Of all the things he'd ever had to do, this was the hardest. Despite his faults, Uther was a good man, a good friend, even a good king. He'd let his pain turn to hatred, thus clouding his judgment.

Uther's eyes grew wide as Gaius explained the events of that morning. He staggered backwards, collapsing into his throne. He buried his face in his hands, beginning to sob. "Where?" He muttered.

"Sire?"

"Where is he?"

"His body lies in my quarters, my lord." Without another word, the king stood and strode across the threshold and out the doors. Gaius followed quietly after him.

As they reached the room, Gaius expected to hear wailing and tears, mourning for the loss of the young prince. Instead, he heard gasps and exclamations of amazement. The crowd surrounding the room was much larger now, but they saw the king immediately and made way for him and Gaius.

Everyone fell silent as Uther reached the doorway. Arthur still lay on the table, and Merlin stood on the opposite side, looking down at him, hand on his shoulder, and the gentlest of sad smiles on his tear-stained face. And the reason for that smile was staring up at him, eyes open ever so slightly, the smallest bit of color back in his face, and chest rising, the spark of life existent once again.

Merlin turned and saw the two who'd entered the room, bowing to the king and stepping back to allow him to be with his son unhindered. Uther turned to Gaius.

"You said he was dead?"

"I thought he was."

"Then I shall be grateful you were wrong." The king looked to Arthur, sighing.

"I must treat him, Sire."

"By all means. Everyone else, go." Merlin walked away slowly, eyes plastered to Arthur until he could see him no longer.

So Gaius began his work, trying to cause Arthur as little pain as possible. He cleaned the wound, surprised with what he saw.

"I can't believe he's alive," He whispered, aghast. "The blood loss alone should have killed him, but his heart is terribly damaged."

"What will that do?"

"I can't be sure, Sire. Only time will tell the lasting effects of this, and that's only if he lives long enough. However, there is much more hope now than there was before."

"Can he be moved to his own bedroom? He should be comfortable, yes?"

"I think he can handle the change."

So with a large amount of effort and an even larger amount of pain, Arthur was settled into his own chambers. Uther sat with him, and Gaius dismissed himself for a moment.

"Merlin," he whispered, and just as he suspected, the boy was not far off.

"Gaius." Merlin came from around the corner, embracing his guardian.

"What happened?!"

"I-I don't know. He was dead, and I was mourning, and then I-I felt something. Warmth, it was magic, I know it was. And then he drew a breath. I-I don't know." It was obvious that he was beginning to suffer from a stress reaction to the events that has just unfolded.

"You brought him back to life, Merlin." The old man said seriously.

"That's not a bad thing!"

"No, not in itself, but…" He trailed off.

"What is it, Gaius?"

"Something like this cannot come perfectly. I fear this may turn out to be rather bittersweet. This is a powerful form of necromancy, practically incomprehensible."

"But it wasn't intentional. I didn't even think of trying to bring him back. I was mourning."

"I fear that he will suffer. When he wakes again, he is certain to find an immense amount of pain. His heart hasn't been restored to its full capacity, or even a safe capacity for that matter. This is going to cause him a great deal of shame."

"But surely is it better than being dead!" Gaius sighed.

"Let us hope so."

All at once, Merlin began to tremble, and he nearly collapsed. Gaius steadied him as his legs began to give out. "Merlin? Merlin, my boy, what's wrong?" Merlin's eyes were drawn upward, as if some unseen force had directed his chin up. His gaze met that of a despicable creature standing at the end of the hallway, with eyes so empty that you could hardly call them eyes. His heart clenched and he let out a quiet exclamation of pain as the wind was knocked out of him, but he couldn't look away. Gaius was nearly frantic, desperately trying to get Merlin's attention. He stood in front, directly cutting off his view from that which caused these things.

He took in a gasp as his lungs were released from its grip. "Reaper," he wheezed as he folded into Gaius's arms.

"Where?"

"Gone."

Days passed, and they couldn't tell what the lasting effects on Arthur's life would be. He was often comatose, and when he was awake he couldn't register very much. During this time, Merlin cared for him, and hardly a moment went by when he was not beside him.

It had been nearly two weeks when Arthur finally came around. And of course, Merlin sat in a seat beside him. "Arthur?"

"M… Merlin?" His voice was hoarse for lack of use. Merlin sighed in relief.

"Finally. How do you feel?"

"Like I've been hit by a boulder. What happened?"

"You were stabbed by the bandits, we almost lost you. I thought we had lost you." Merlin's voice strained with emotions, and Arthur began to recollect the events.

"O-Oh. Yes, I remember being attacked." His hand came up and graced the skin over his heart. His chest was bandaged, but he could feel the wound underneath. After another moment, Arthur's entire demeanor changed, and his brow furrowed.

"What's wrong, Sire?"

"I can't move my legs." Merlin's heart sunk.

"Are you sure? Perhaps you're just weak."

"I can't even move my toes, Merlin." The young prince's voice betrayed his fears.

"I'll go get Gaius. He'll be able to do something, I know he will."

But the court physician could do nothing. When the life had left the young prince, the nerves in his legs had died. There was nothing anyone could do to make them function again, no amount of magic that could restore him completely. Magic had done everything it could possibly do, it had brought a dead man back to life. But despite this, Merlin still felt like he had failed.

Arthur was weak, too. He had a hard time sitting up for extended periods of time, and even speaking was taxing for him. Merlin was always with him, always taking care of him. The young prince was ashamed of himself for not being stronger, not being strong enough to get through this. He would engage in conversation less and less simply out of despair, leaving Merlin to himself. The warlock could almost see the wall being put up between them, as if every stretch of long silence strengthened the mortar and added another stone.

It had been weeks. Nothing seemed to be getting better. Arthur stopped speaking all together, and there were days Uther sat beside him for hours, begging him to say something, anything. Merlin knew it was useless. His prince was becoming a shadow of himself, and there was nothing that could bring him back. But, in the back of Merlin's head, a small voice whispered, _'But at least he's alive.' _So Merlin clung to that scrap of justification.

It wasn't until one day in early autumn that Merlin realized he'd been wrong.

He brought Arthur breakfast one morning, preparing to help him into the chair on wheels that had been built for him, just like he'd done for several weeks now. Gaius had heard of the device years ago, and hoped it would help the prince get some of his life back. He had set down the tray and was pouring his master's tea when Arthur spoke.

"I want to die, Merlin." The young warlock turned to him, and saw how sincere he was. Arthur's life was in turmoil, and all he wanted was for it to end.

"You don't mean that."

"I do." Merlin was beside his bed in a moment.

"Please, Arthur," he pleaded. The prince simply turned his head and lapsed back into silence. Tears formed in Merlin's eyes that he couldn't stem. He helped Arthur into his chair, pushed him to his table to eat breakfast, then excused himself. This was his fault. He knew the reaper was coming, he should've tried more to stop it. He should've protected him. He should've, he should've…

He collapsed against the stone wall of the hallway, sobbing. A serving girl heard his cries and reported it to Gaius, who went to find his ward immediately. "Merlin, what's happened?!"

"It's my fault!" he cried. "It's all my fault! I've failed him." The old physician had known this would be coming, that eventually Merlin would lose his head.

"Merlin, please…"

"No. No. Just leave me be, Gaius. There's nothing I can do for him, and there's nothing you can do for me." While he spoke, he'd stood, and once he was finished speaking, he began to walk away. Gaius took a step towards him.

"Don't follow me!" Then he broke into a run, turning down the first hall on the right.

Arthur had been listening, and guilt overwhelmed him. He leaned his head back against his chair, sighing. He had to fix this. Determined, he grabbed the wooden wheels of the chair and turned towards the door. That action in itself was exhausting, as his muscles had weakened drastically. But he had to keep going, for Merlin. His foolish, insensitive actions had led his manservant to believe that blame fell upon him. He made it to the door, and struggled to open it. He wheeled slowly through the doorway, and as soon as Gaius saw him, he came to help.

Arthur shook his head, then looked down the way he'd heard Merlin go. He managed to get the chair through the door, then mustered what little strength he had to try and follow him. "Merlin," he started quietly. "Merlin, I'm sorry."

The manservant peered around a corner, cautiously taking a step towards him. "This is my fault, Arthur, not yours."

"Don't blame yourself for this mess."

"But it is my fault! You just… You can't understand!"

"Then help me understand!" Arthur sighed, gathering his thoughts. It had been so long since he'd properly spoken that the words he wanted to use seemed to leave him.

"I don't even understand." Merlin's eyes were brimming with frustrated tears. They stayed in silence for several moments, until Merlin could think of what to say. "Why do you want to die?" His voice betrayed the brokenness of his heart.

It took him a few moments to answer, but he finally did. "I'm already dead."

Merlin came closer. "That isn't true."

"Look at me, Merlin. I'll never be king like this. My father is already searching for a new heir, his own bloodline has failed him."

"I'll fix it. I'll fix it all."

"How in the world are you going to fix this?!" He gestured to himself, to his own thin frame and useless legs, and the heart that was never truly made whole.

"I'll find a way, I promise." As he said this, he began to walk backwards, then turned to face to stairs and walked faster, turning back one last time to Arthur. "I promise." Then, he ran down the palace steps, leaving Arthur to ponder the puzzle that was his manservant.

He ran straight to the field outside the city walls to speak with Kilgarrah. "O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!" It was only a matter of moments before the dragon arrived.

"Kilgarrah! I need help."

"This does not surprise me, young warlock."

"It's Arthur."

"I assumed so."

Merlin explained what had happened and begged the dragon for something, anything, to fix it. "I cannot solve this, Merlin, but I know one who might be able to."

"Who?"

"His name is the Doctor. He can travel through time."

"How is that possible?"

"It's time you were opened up to the rest of the universe, young warlock. There is more in existence than you are yet aware of."

"O-Okay. Just… just call him."


End file.
